Chapter 35

Episode 35. Does a relaxed body need tension… or not?

Well, it’s a bit awkward to say this, but the event chain related to the so-called “Pirate Empress Event,” where pirates attack, is…

<Warning! Pirate fleet approaching!>

<Estimated arrival at the base in about 5 minutes.>

“Hmm.”

It was still in the early stages.

To be precise, the “Pirate Empress” event hadn’t even happened yet.

It was just the prelude battles dragging on endlessly.

I started thinking about upgrading the base to the next level soon to prepare for the upcoming “Pirate Empress” event.

Of course, it was just a thought for now. Actually doing it right away was impossible.

—————————————-

<Base Level 4 Upgrade>

<<<Required Resources: 10,000 Minerals, 500 Rare Resources>>>

<Unlocks upon upgrade>

˪<Additional docking facilities>

˪<Additional Resource Warehouse construction possible>

˪<Rare Resource Synthesis Plant>

˪<Additional Shipyard construction possible>

—————————————-

The minerals required for Level 4 were just too much.

To do this, I’d have to grind hard for minerals, but…

As I saw just a few days ago, the amount of stored minerals was pitifully low.

The reason was the alert I received through the message earlier.

In other words, repairing the damage from the annoying pirate attacks or rebuilding destroyed ships.

There were just too many places to spend minerals, making it impossible to save up.

And as I thought this far, I started feeling genuinely bored with this one-trick pirate event.

Plus, I wasn’t the only one thinking this.

—————————————-

Title: Isn’t the event just pirates invading over and over? One-trick much?

Author: Yep

Content: Kinda annoying tbh;; Is it always like this?

Comments:

-[You’ve realized it, come to the game company]

-[You’ve awakened to the truth]

-[You don’t have the IQ to play this game]

-[Newbie’s got the IQ to quit, congrats]

··· ··· ··· ··· ··· ···

—————————————-

Not wrong, though.

After seeing the newbie’s post on the community and the flood of comments, I also felt bored with the one-trick pirate event.

But right at that moment.

A realization flashed through my mind, sending a chill down my spine.

“Wait, what the hell am I thinking?”

I’m trapped in a game by a company that can’t even balance difficulty properly.

And I’m feeling *bored* by the repetitive pirate attack event?

Have I already adapted to this crazy world?

Am I so soaked in adrenaline instead of dopamine that I’ve gone mentally insane?

Feeling this way, I decided I couldn’t just sit still.

Instead of safely commanding from the fortified base’s command center like usual, I decided to board a cruiser and see the action firsthand on the frontlines.

Maybe if I experience the chaos of battle up close, with shells slamming into the ship I’m on, I’ll stop having these stupid thoughts of boredom.

Of course, regarding this decision of mine…

“You know this is absolutely not allowed, right?”

My adjutant Jessica, of course.

“Commander, going to the frontlines yourself is too risky.”

“That’s right, Commander. Just hearing your sweet voice commanding us is enough to make me… you know… ♡”

“I don’t know about that, but honestly, it’s dangerous.”

Even the three superhumans currently serving as “executives” unanimously opposed my decision.

Not that my opinion was wrong, but purely because of the “risk.”

“I know it’s dangerous, but if I stay still like this, my mind’s going to snap first.”

“Ah.”

“Besides, with you all protecting me, I’m not too worried.”

“Commander… ♡”

Under the grand cause of preserving my sanity, I boarded the SSS-Class Cruiser “Overseer,” which I had seized last time, and ordered it to set sail to engage the incoming pirates in real-time.

==========

But there was one thing I didn’t anticipate.

Unlike usual, with me included in this “pirate interception force,” excessive resources were focused on protecting me.

Along with the newly produced ships, a fleet of 30 ships, including the 5 cruisers I’m currently aboard, including the Overseer.

And the result of mobilizing superhuman forces, including Ignis, Belial, and Pashtira.

The pirates, who had come to plunder with just one cruiser and five destroyers, suddenly found themselves helplessly torn apart by a force five times larger than theirs.

So miserably torn apart that my initial plan to regain tension through actual combat completely vanished.

In its place was something akin to sympathy for the pirates.

Right away, excluding the flagship cruiser, four ships were blown away by the concentrated fire of the cruisers, including the Overseer I was on.

The remaining one… melted away from the particle beam fired by Pashtira, screaming in death.

So, was the flagship cruiser okay? Absolutely not.

-“Aaaah!!!”

-“M-monsters!”

-“F*ck, save me! I don’t wanna die…”

Through efficient leveling, our Ignis-sama, who had already reached level 45.

-“Move aside, you vermin! Damn you!”

-“…”

-“How dare you wreak havoc on my pirate ship like this! I’ll make you pay with your body!”

-“…”

-“Die!”

-*Boom!*

The giant wielding a massive tachi (greatsword), who revealed himself as the captain of this pirate ship, attacked.

After dodging a few times and roughly gauging his strength.

-“You’re in the way, trash.”

-*Slash!*

-“Urk?!”

Even though Ignis was already considered SSS-class with great stats, having grown well.

She sliced the pirate captain vertically into three pieces along with his tachi, eliminating him.

Meanwhile, Belial, who was also deployed, used her increased number of ‘puppets’ as her level rose.

In a shipboard melee where they should’ve been at a numerical disadvantage, she quickly took control of the cruiser’s interior by overwhelming with sheer numbers.

-“Everyone, advance! The Commander is watching this battle.”

-“Roger, ro…”

-“That’s only to be used once.”

But the pirates, having experienced all sorts of battles to the point of owning a ‘cruiser,’ seemed determined to prove themselves.

Despite their captain being turned into a three-piece set.

They held out ‘longer than expected’ against the puppet troops commanded by Belial.

But even so, shouldn’t they have surrendered by now?

I couldn’t help but wonder what they stood to gain by holding out like this, when suddenly.

-*Bzzzt…*

-“Commander, there’s a communication request from the pirate ship to you.”

“Communication?”

As this unusual event, which I didn’t recall, occurred, I ordered the communication to be connected out of curiosity.

Then, amidst the crackling noise, a communication screen appeared on the large bridge screen of the cruiser I was on.

And on that screen…

-“You damn bastards, did you think we’d hand over this ship to you?!”

A middle-aged man, the first mate of the pirate ship, holding what looked like a Big Red Button screaming “I’m the self-destruct button!” with his entire body.

With eyes filled with madness, he was shouting at the communication screen.

“Ignis, Belial, retreat now.”

-“Yes, Commander!”

-“Understood, all units retreat!”

I had no intention of losing valuable superhuman characters to that crazy old man.

So I ordered Ignis and Belial, who had infiltrated the ship, to return, planning to quietly bombard the bridge to ‘subdue’ the cruiser.

But just as I was about to execute that plan.

-“Guh?!”

The first mate, who had been glaring at me, suddenly let out a choking sound.

He looked behind him, muttered something like, “You, how dare you…”

Then, his hand holding the button went limp, and he collapsed in front of the screen, dead.

Naturally, I was left with a big question mark above my head, wondering what had just happened.

As if answering my question.

Someone’s hand grabbed the first mate’s head and flung it out of the screen.

Then, a rather youthful-looking girl appeared on the screen and said to me.

-“Hey, mister over there, wanna make a deal with me?”